Ultrasound

I just had some of my females ultrasounded today by a local breeder. It provided alot of information. If you can find someone willing to do it for you, thats the route I would go. Even if you pay them a few bucks its more than worth it.

I'll be looking into getting one in a couple of years as well. Like you, palpating escapes me. I've watched, I've tried...I feel nothing I can distinguish as anything, lol. I can't even palpate females I know are gravid. :P

It would be a lot handier to know exactly when the males need to go with them to be most effective.

They're definitely not cheap, but as an investment, well worth it. There is, I gather, a learning curve when it comes to figuring out how to use them and interpret what you see.